The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-10-10

In the doctors hands, and ought
to be lying off in peace and quiet
ness; but can't afford it these
times.
~ mean, what party do you be-
long to-"
To none whatever, wholly and
solely. You might have learnt that
from our motto, which says, 'pledg-
ed to neither sect nor party" A
purely party organ is bound to sup
port every act and intention OF its
party, regardless of right and wrong
The BULLETIN is not in that awkward
predicament, and never has been.
"Then you are on the fence"
II you choose TO call II so. We
prefer the term independent; but
we will not quarrel about mere
technicalities. Some years ago,
shortly after its late able editor as
sumed control, the weekly Hacdiidn
Gdzette occupied a similar position,
which ii was pleased to designate
being "free lance" On the fence,
independent, and free lance all mean
about the same thing. If you prefer
the first term, there is no objection
to the choice. The fence is a splen-
did place of observation and O very
convenient base of operations. From
this position we can calmly watch
the doings of the people on both
sides, and when we see praise
worthy act committed IN either
camp, such as Samaritan picking
up poor stranger who has been
robbed and maltreated by roughs,
and helping him out of his piIikid,
we just jump off that side the fence
and give the Samaritan a pat on the
back, saying, "lou are brick
whether you call yourself Reform
err or an Oppositionst, you are
made of the right stuff, and it gives
us pleasure to say so" Back we
go to our perch again. Perhaps the
next thing which appears to view is
a mean act-a man robbing church
or stealing two cents from poor
widow. Down we come again, and
rush after him with a steel pen,
sticking it into his hide, which is
peculiar method of persuading him
to desist. Thus from the fence we
operate on both sides, encouraging
what we conceive to be good and de-
nouncing what we believe to be evil,
regardless of party, politics, and
profession. This is being a free
lance; this is independence. Call
it what you like.
"Well, WE'LL" said our friend,
becoming inpatient, II don't clearly
understand your present position,
and would like to know just where
you stand. You fought bravely
against the corruption and crooked
ness of former times and advocated
a radical change. The change has
come, and you are still on the ram
page. Are you not inconsistent"
Don't think so. Believe our
course to be thoroughly consistent.
Exposed, ridiculed, and opposed
the doings of former times, believ-
ing them wrong and ruinous; hailed
with joy the change inaugurated by
the mass meeting of June the 30th;
accepted the new Constitution as
better than the old, very properly
curtailing the sovereign power,
among other equally good points
and have a sufficient measure of
confidence in the new Ministry, to
be willing to leave to them the re-
sponsible management of the ceun-
try, until they shall give an account
of their stewardship to the peoples
representatives in the Legislature
assembled. AS to the work of the
Ministers up to the present time,
considering the peculiar difficulties
which beset them, they have effected
commendable improvement, and it
is our opinion that in the main they
have done respectfully we'll. But
they have, according to our humble
way of thinking, committed some
errors in following too closely in the
line of their predecessors. We have
not thought it to be our duty nor in
the interest of the public either to
commend or to be silent upon these
latter points. Indeed, believed it
to be the right thing to use the steel
probe, and have used it very gently
and with good intentions. Similar
remarks will apply to other depart
ments of Government, not under
Ministerial management. Where is